Virginia Military Institute - Preparing Chemistry Majors for Medical School The MCAT is changing starting in 2015 to measure not only chemical physical and biological sciences but also adding psychological and social components said Lt Col Dan McCain associate professor of chemistry Access to health care and socioeconomic issues are becoming big issues in health care The idea for a pre med track has been in the works for about two years and is a collaborative effort between the chemistry biology psychology and applied mathematics departments Most chemistry majors will decide which track they will follow prior to their 3rd Class year A lot of the courses they take are the same only some of the upper level courses are different and pre med cadets will be choosing a specific set of electives said McCain Cadets on the pre med track will be taking more biology courses than a typical chemistry major would In place of part two of physical chemistry and analytical chemistry they will take cell biology and genetics Biological systems are at their heart chemical systems so you have to understand them on both levels to really understand what is going on McCain explained The math requirements will also be geared more toward the medical field with statistics taking the place of Calculus III Likewise whereas cadets on the research track have 15 hours of free electives and a three hour humanities elective those on the pre med track with the exception of a free elective writing intensive course will fill those elective slots with suggested courses relevant to the health professions In the process they will meet the requirements for a concentration in biochemistry and molecular biology There is flexibility built in for those who are interested in pre pharmacy or being a physician s assistant We can tailor the program for them McCain said For

Virginia Military Institute - Project Pursues Cure for Malaria for Malaria A project currently under way in the VMI chemistry department could someday save lives that would otherwise be lost to malaria Beginning last year Col Stan Smith professor of chemistry and several cadets have been working to develop new compounds effective against malaria a mosquito borne sometimes fatal disease common in tropical regions of the world The disease is caused by a parasitic protozoan carried by the female Anopheles mosquito which transmits the infection when it bites a person or animal There are anti malarial pharmaceuticals currently on the market but resistance has developed to several of them Smith explained There is no vaccine against the disease Last summer Cadet Brent Clark 15 spent many hours in the lab working to develop and test new compounds that might be effective against malaria as part of a Summer Undergraduate Research Institute project For Clark a chemistry major who plans to commission in the Air Force after graduating from VMI the SURI project has been a way to experience the real life of a scientist with all of its joys and frustrations Some things have been easy and some things have been hard said Clark The things that we re currently trying aren t working but that s science I guess We re just trying to get stuff to work Testing the efficacy of Clark and Smith s creations has been left to the experts at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research where a VMI alumnus Capt Victor Zottig 01 is chief of the synthetic chemistry core in the division of experimental therapeutics In that role he is responsible for helping to develop new drugs against malaria The involvement of Clark and Smith in Zottig s research is the result of VMI s famed alumni network and a bit of serendipity Zottig attended graduate school with a fellow alumnus Maj Dan Harrison 05 who is now assistant professor of chemistry Over the years Harrison and Zottig have kept in touch and when Zottig expressed an interest in having an organic chemist develop and test anti malarial compounds Harrison recommended Smith Smith came to the project with a background in medicinal chemistry as he had done research to find a way to chemically inactivate nerve gas agents during a post doctoral fellowship at the Research Triangle Institute in North Carolina As they completed the synthesis and purification of new compounds Smith and Clark sent a sample of each to Zottig at Walter Reed Two months later Smith receives results showing what worked and what didn t and then heads back to the lab to further refine the compounds showing the best results We ve found things that are semi active said Smith of the research results so far It s trial and error added Clark We have some compounds that aren t toxic so that s good but they re not nearly as active as the drugs that are used now Smith explained The drugs that are used now are

Chemistry Professor Writes Questions for National Exam the opposite side of the desk and write the questions for such a test especially one that is administered nationally That s the experience Lt Col Stan Smith associate professor of chemistry had this spring when he helped to write questions for the American Chemical Society s organic chemistry exam The 70 question exam is given at colleges and universities across the country so professors can gauge how their students are doing compared to others around the nation Students taking the test are typically chemistry or biology majors in their second or third year of college The ACS s organic chemistry exam has not been given at VMI in the last few years although some professors teaching other branches of chemistry do administer ACS tests It s been great to see how the whole process works said Smith who took the organic chemistry exam himself when he was an undergraduate at the University of Central Florida Smith heard about the opportunity to craft the next ACS exam through Col Daren Timmons department head Timmons had participated in writing ACS exam questions in the past Smith put his name into consideration as a potential participant two years ago but did not hear until last year that he d been selected He traveled to New Orleans La in April to meet with 14 other chemistry professors from around the country and narrow down a pool of 300 potential questions Smith contributed questions having to do with six areas of organic chemistry including green chemistry and nomenclature As its name suggests green chemistry has to do with conducting experiments in an environmentally friendly manner In organic laboratory there s a push to find cheaper more easily disposable greener processes said Smith He noted that interest in green chemistry seems to be growing and

Virginia Military Institute - Chemistry Curricula problems The department offers two degree tracks the B S degree and the B A degree in chemistry The B S degree provides the most comprehensive preparation for further work or study in chemistry or a related field such as Chemical Engineering Material Science Environmental Science Pharmacology The chemistry department s Bachelor of Science is approved by the American Chemical Society and cadets fulfilling the requirements for a Bachelor of Science are certified as having met the standards of professional training by the society The Bachelor of Arts degree provides cadets with an opportunity to pursue other interests in preparation for a career of their choosing while providing a solid foundation in the basic areas of chemistry This degree requires cadets to choose another focus area outside of chemistry and complete either a minor concentration or certification Faculty members work closely with Bachelor of Arts majors to design a program that best meets the cadets career goals Career choices may correspond to the following focus areas Medical or dental school Concentration in biochemistry and molecular biology Military or intelligence agencies International studies minor science and security minor Arabic minor Law enforcement or forensics Concentration in biochemistry and molecular biology Business MBA Business or economics minor Math science teacher Teacher certification program Faculty members believe close interaction with cadets in the classroom and in the chemical laboratory is critical in the development of good chemistry majors This personal mentoring occurs in many ways but especially in our small classes and during undergraduate research projects All majors are encouraged to participate in an undergraduate research experience under the guidance of a faculty member either in a 10 week summer program or during the academic year The majority of chemistry majors participate in at least one undergraduate research experience Most of these cadets